Until we meet again
by borntoflyhigh
Summary: Mai and the SPR take a case in which the ghost haunts the client only for some unknown reason but what happens when a nostalgic feeling takes over Mai. a story of painful pasts, choices that can make happy and deprive of love. if Naru is given a choice between bringing Gene back and sacrificing Mai; what will he choose. please read.
1. Chapter 1

**'Until we meet again.'**

**Chapter 1: Nostalgia**

**Hello to all those who are reading this. I'm borntoflyhigh, a new author on this site and this is my first fanfic so hope u all enjoy it. And now on stage I invite our all-time favorite Naru, Mai and of course Gene.**

**Me: hey guys!**

**Naru: I don't talk with the brainless.**

**Me: we know that *sigh*. What about Mai she is brainless too.*sneers***

**Naru: she is a different case…**

**Mai: Hey you jerk why don't u do the disclaimer and leave quickly.**

**Gene: Why do I have a minor part in this conversation. *Pouts***

**Naru: Fortunately, borntoflyhigh does not own me or ghost hunt, she doesn't even own the plot and the title, it is her younger brother's and in no case am I a pawn in this stupid story.**

**Mai: Manners!**

**Me: save it for the fanfic guys, coz I'm having you fight a lot. Mwahahaha….**

**Mai's POV:**

"Late again" I panted as I dodged several people and ran blindly and took out all the frustration of my bad morning by rambling all the pretexts I could possibly mention.

"You see my alarm clock went off and then my shower wouldn't work and then I saw that the neighbor's cat had ruined a set of cushions in my living room and oh there was such a long traffic, so you see Naru…"

I never got to complete the sentence because I ran thwack into somebody as I was walking towards my desk and when I opened my eyes I only saw black.

"Mai." Naru quietly growls. "Make sure the low number of brain cells you have do not affect your performance during work"

That is exactly the reason I hate him, since he came back from England he has been more grumpy, bothersome in short a complete burden for someone like me. I am a complete fool to have fallen for him not someone sweet and caring at school but….

"Now Mai don't stand there ogling at me but make yourself useful" he points to a large pile of files that await my boredom. "And" he pauses, tilting my chin upwards so I can look straight in his cerulean eyes. I know that my face is pure red comparable to a tomato and my suspicion is confirmed when a smirk crosses his face for a fleeting moment. "We expect a client today so make sure you make enough tea." He pauses again. "Without burning your hands and ending up in a hospital." With that he turns around and enters his office, leaving me red with fury. How dare he insult me, how dare he tell me I have less brain cells!

"YOU SELFISH, NARCISSISTIC, TEA-LOVING JERK!" I yell completely losing my temper only to see someone enter. Oh my god, the client, did he hear me yelling! Oh no! Oh no! but my brain stops working when i see the person enter.

A short man, in his fifties with greying hair and tired green eyes, entered and looked closely at me before bowing deeply. I barely notice him my focus on one phrase.

_I've seen him somewhere, I know him!_

"My name is Atsuro Kei"

_I know him, I know his name!_ my brain screamed at me but I ignored and bowed too.

"Welcome Atsuro-san, I am Taniyama Mai please sit, I'll fetch my boss" I smile and I see a panicky and recognizing look cross his face. I ignore it and hurry to fetch Naru only to see him exiting his lair with Lin and judging by their looks they had been arguing.

"Naru, we have a client." I inform him and he speaks in an annoyed tone.

"Mai, you were shrieking like a banshee so that fact was hard to ignore."

I flinch internally at his tone before going to fetch tea and when I come back I see the client talking rapidly and dabbing his forehead with a handkerchief.

"I have been living in this house for more than ten years and these disturbances have just been upsetting me and my family more and more. Sometimes there are knives that are thrown at me and in my room the temperature drops when I'm sleeping and then there's blood on walls and above all I continually hear a women's scream. Also one day my five-year old daughter disappeared but later we found her in the basement unharmed. Please help me sir."

"Who has been affected by these occurrences?" Naru asks interestedly.

"Uh, it only seems to despise me" he answered nervously twitching.

On the other hand I was racking my brains to recognize this man, something about him seemed guilty, like he was guilty of his past.

"Mai, are you paying attention!" Naru asks and then irritated huffs at me. "Mai has your stupidity been a precedent for dumbness and deafness?"

"Oh I'm sorry" I reply absent-mindedly and bite the end of my pencil thinking hardly well, until, Naru decides that it's a time to end my daydreams by shaking my shoulder firmly.

"I'll remember this thoughtful side of yours the next time I sign your paycheck." and he gave me his famous 'we'll-talk-about-this-later' look and turned to the client who looked up expectantly.

"We'll take the case, please prepare a base and three rooms for our stay and leave your contact details with my assistant" he pointedly glares at me. The client bows deeply before mumbling a thanks and shakes Naru's hand with relief. Lin closes his laptop with a snap and throws Naru a deep glare and Naru, being Naru returns it with a chilled gaze that freezes me in my spot.

Something in my heart told me that this was going to be a long, long case and I shudder before making my way to inform the SPR Irregulars. But before that I smile comfortingly at Naru who turns his wrath towards me.

"Mai. I don't pay you to goof around, go back and make yourself fruitful."

It was official. I. Hate. Naru…

**P.S: This is the result of my brother racking his otherwise useless brain and my younger sister editing this, so plz r&r. Yayyyy!. Au revoir.**

**Borntoflyhigh and TTARules{my brother}**


	2. Chapter 2

Until we meet again

**Chapter 2: The Vision Turns Green.**

**Hello everybody, I'm back again with a new chapter for my story. And today we have on stage Ayako, Madoka and Lin.**

**Ayako: hey borntoflyhigh! Why didn't you get us a case at a spa or a saloon or a mall? *frowns***

**Madoka: exactly, don't we deserve to have vacation?**

**Lin: you should have thought about that before joining the paranormal research.**

**Madoka: Anyway, *wiping fake tears* in no case does borntoflyhigh own ghost hunt or any other characters or any objects mentioned.**

**Ayako: Thank God!**

**Lin: *nods***

Naru sighed exhaustedly before turning to the mirror positioned on his desk.

_Dammit Gene talk to me!_

He had been staring into the mirror trying to establish contact with his dead twin and waiting for Mai to come and hand him his tea. He was tired and restless and his only solace was at that moment Gene, Mai and/or her tea and unfortunately for him neither of the three were available.

"**_Did you miss me Noll?" _**a voice spoke and Naru find himself staring in the mirror, glaring at Gene.

"**_Gene, are you finally ready to talk to your twin now?" _**he asked sarcastically.

"**_Oh what happened Noll dear, did your pretty assistant forget to smile at you"_** Gene playfully asked, smirking.

"**_She's late."_**

**_"Oh doesn't she realize that my brother has spent countless nights dreaming about her or has she found someone else?"_**

**_"Gene talk about the case." _**Naru commanded, ignoring the fact that Gene was just telling the truth. he could obviously live without her support, he had no time for such trivial matters and he had learned to live alone. Gene however, realized that he was sad but what he was oblivious to was that Mai had always wanted Naru, Gene was just dead and gone.

**_"This case is not about usual hauntings." _**Gene hesitated, he knew things that he didn't want Mai to know, things that made the case complex.

"**_Go on."_**

**_"The spirits just want someone to confess their mistake, or let me say, murder and the spirits are…" G_**ene hesitated again, a slight discomfort in his voice.

"**_…yes?" _**Naru urged.

**_"…parents" _**Naru caught half the sentence and the connection started to fade and after a moment Naru found himself staring at his own reflection. He pulled himself out of the seat and ran a hand through his hair but his further musings were interrupted when Mai burst into his office carrying his morning tea.

"Good Morning Naru!" she chirruped but her bubbly attitude dropped when she saw the look on Naru's face.

"Ne Naru, are you alright" she managed a worried smile and Naru was seized with an urge to smile back but instead he let his bangs cover his eyes.

"Mai are the others here?"

"Oh" she put a finger under her chin. "No I forgot to tell you that they'll be joining us directly at the client's house and Masako won't be able to make it till tomorrow."

"Very well. Tell Lin to get the van, we'll be leaving" Naru sighed inaudibly. Only if people you loved wouldn't die.

**Mai POV**

So here I am sitting with the world's most asocial people in the whole world and by those asocial folks I mean Naru and Lin. Naru is sitting beside me, reading from his black notebook and scribbling furiously in it occasionally while Lin is driving. My iPod is the only source of sustenance in this journey but soon its power would end and then…..

"Mai, I suggest that instead of listening to cacophony you review the case."

I pretend to be absorbed in the song I'm listening to.

"Wait Naru, I'm on my favorite song. It's Red by Taylor Swift and I suggest you keep to your files."

"What kind of song is that?" Naru scoffs at the song and I explain the whole song to him, wishing he would leave me alone but he just glares at me and I turn away, mumbling insults and wishing I could just scratch his handsome face.

The plan hovers in the air as an unusual drowsiness takes over me and I lean against my seat, sighing.

**_Dreamland:_**

_I look around the place where I am standing. It is a simple living room furnished beautifully with exquisite furniture and the walls were covered with photo frames. I glance at a particular frame that captures my attention. In the middle a small girl of about three with long brown hair and eyes is standing smiling widely and holding a white cat to her chest. I smile, I had often thought of taking a cat as a pet but after my parent's death I had managed to keep my wishing list to a minimum._

_The curtains are drawn over the windows and the lights are dimmed indicating nighttime. I try to make heads and tails of the whole dream and look around more waiting for Gene to appear. I was just starting to climb the staircase when I saw something rush past me. Slowly, cautiously I follow the man who then turns to a room, quietly opening it. Something about the man seems vaguely familiar but I freeze when I see the same man take out a knife from his pocket, even this is the least shocking but what makes me lose my sanity is when I see what the man is about to do._

_The bedroom I'm standing in is quiet and peaceful. A man with dark black hair is sleeping silently with his arm around a little girl and then I realize something, she is the same girl from the photo. Beside the girl, a beautiful woman with brown hair is sleeping and the woman shifts and then cuddles her daughter just as the man with the knife enters. He throws a look of pure disgust at the man but his look softens when he look at the girl and her mother._

_He lifts his knife and goes to the side where the man is sleeping and it dawns on me._

_He wants to murder the sleeping man._

_"GENE!" I shout desperately looking around myself but then he does it, the murderer drives the knife in the sleeping man's chest who wakes up suddenly and suddenly falls back dead. It doesn't end there however, the woman wakes up and screams holding the girl who looks frightened to death. Then the man murders the woman and bludgeons both of them till he's distorted the bodies. Then something odd happens-the vision turns green. The girl runs away and the man ignores her._

_"STOP IT STOP IT" I scream with my hands covering my ears. I want this nightmare to stop, I can't take it anymore, I can't take it anymore…._

_General POV_

"Stop it" She whimpered in her sleep and then her eyes fluttered open as she realized she was still in the van, she tried to move her head but realize that something was resting on it.

"Taniyama-san don't sit up, Naru is sleeping." Lin informs her with a hidden glee in his voice.

_He can sleep, what does that have to do with me….._

And then it dawns on her and she recognizes her position. Her head is resting on Naru's shoulder while Naru's head is resting on top of her head, one side of his face hidden by her brown hair. He grunts as she tries to move and then he goes back to sleep.

Mai blushes and just thinks about her dream and remembers that before waking up the vision had turned green.

**I hope you liked it just let me know any advices or comments by reviewing. I appreciate all those who reviewed previously and I am very very thankful to them. So lets keep it up, shall we.**

**ByeJJJ**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Memories**

**Hello dear readers, I'm back and I really want to apologize for this late update, you see I had some problem with my internet and it was really frustrating. Anyways I hope you enjoy this chapter and keep on sending your advices and reviews. If you want to give me any suggestions just send me a PM. **

**P.S: I'm scared of flames….**

**With Naru: in the van.**

"**_Mother I am not in a relationship with Mai" _**Naru sighed for the umpteenth time and ran a hand through his hair, making it more disheveled than ever. His mother Luella Davis had called all the way from England just to confirm this fact and all because of a stupid photo Lin had sent of him sleeping with his head on Mai's head. How very, very stupid. But his mother considered it cute and claimed that he fancied Mai as Lin was trying to stifle his laughter in the front and concentrate on driving. Although Naru wouldn't tell anyone but he did like being considered Mai's boyfriend.

"**_But Noll dear, Madoka said you liked her and then Lin said….._**" Naru shook his head angrily and could vaguely hear his father's voice and Madoka's chirrupy giggles in the background.

"**_Mother I really don't know what Lin and Madoka planted in your head but-"_**

"**_Oh come on Luella, stop interfering in his matters_**" his father Martin chided and Naru mentally thanked him.

"**_But Martin it is totally a thing to interfere in, I mean if Mai and Naru marry one day, she becomes my daughter-in-law and then_**-" his mother's dreamy monologue was interrupted by Madoka's voice.

"**_Luella get to the point_**" she piped up and heard Luella's shushing.

**_"Mother, I have work to do" _**Naru growled and heard his mother's voice calm the fervent Madoka who was shouting so loudly that Naru had to hold the phone faraway from his ear.

"**_Noll, I need to talk to Mai Taniyama, right now!_**" his mother stubbornly replied and Naru was forced to look at Mai out of the corner of his eyes. She was awake and unaware of the conversation, listening to some stupid lovey-dovey song and humming along with it.

"**_Fine but don't rant in front of her_**" he paused and turned to Mai who looked up expectantly at him.

"Mai, mother wants to talk to you" he informed her and handed her the cell.

"Why?" she asked curiously but took the phone nevertheless and then her face scrunched into worry.

"Did I do something stupid, is everything alright?" she asked frantically yanking the earphones out of her ears and Naru gave her a 'you-are-so-stupid' look.

"No being Luella Davis she just wants to make idle chitchat" Naru frowned and Mai gasped throwing him a reproachful look, mumbling furiously.

"Hello" Mai said in a cheerful voice and then conversed happily with Naru's mother for the first time. Talking about childish things like fashion, school life and then the topic turned to Naru.

"Mai dear" Luella asked. "Is Noll being difficult these days." Naru sighed, he was expecting Mai to tell long, woven tales of his cruelty but she simply beamed and replied.

"No Mrs. Davis, he doesn't grumble these days and he is not being difficult, just being himself." Luella's voice was reflecting her grinning face and Naru was taken aback for a few moments.

"Oh my dear your tea is doing the magic."

"Uh…magic?" Mai asked uncertainly and glanced at Naru who was scowling and boring holes in the back of Lin's head, mumbling things sounding like a whole variety of swear words.

" You know when he was in England he wouldn't touch my tea, not even from the best tea-makers but I've heard from Madoka that he adores your tea" Luella's laugh tinkled happily. Mai was surprised and a balloon inflated in her stomach, she was happy, too happy for words, but Naru being the king of mood killers snatched the phone and said something in rapid English before shutting the phone with a snap.

"Lin are we there yet?" he barked angrily and Lin quietly replied  
"We'll be there in fifteen minutes" Mai turned to Naru furiously.

"Why did you snatch the phone" she demanded.

"It was mine Mai and besides instead of gossiping you could do a lot of other things" he simply stated and turned to the black notebook he had been reviewing, his blue eyes moving swiftly over the text.

**Mai POV:**

I huffed and turned to face the window, what was that jerk's problem? Did he hate happy people or what. Geez, his mother was so nice, so unlike Naru but then again this proves that his mood and chilled temper was not hereditary AT LEAST. I whined to myself and looked at Naru again who was having a staring contest with his black notebook. My thoughts wandered to my dream and I shuddered as my brain pictured the bludgeoned bodies.

"Mai what did you dream about?" Naru asked and I turned to him, astonished; did he read minds or what?

"Nothing" I replied noticing that he had not even glanced up from his notebook

"Mai." He silently warned and I just laughed nervously, trying to keep myself calm.

"It was a nightmare not a vision besides Gene was not even present" I mumbled silently.

"Hnn" he murmured, still not paying attention and finally the van halted and I looked out of the window at the Atsuro residence. It was a nice looking house with a beautiful garden on one side with a lot of sunflowers and rose plants, in front of the door Atsuro-san stood with two people; one was an elder woman, possibly his wife with grey eyes and black, billowing hair, tied in a bun. The other was a girl of sixteen with beautiful black hair and green eyes, she was wearing casual clothes and her smile was open and carefree.

I got out of the van and slung my bag around my shoulders, walking to the client alongside Naru.

"Ah welcome Shibuya-san" Atsuro-san walked in our direction in his nervous manner and shot me that panicky look that had crossed his face in the office.

"This is my wife Tamao and my daughter Maya, my younger daughter Kasai is still in school so she couldn't come to greet you" Atsuro-san started the conversation and Naru simply nodded.

"Mai, go set up the base with Lin and position the cameras" he commanded and turned to Maya-san. But what made me mad and made my blood boil was that she started to openly flirt with him and he smiled back.

"Maya-san can you show me around the house and tell me of these hauntings, please."

He. Said. Please.

My temper started to boil and I could feel my cheeks redden in anger as I stomped my way back to the van without waiting for her answer, Lin following my wake. I lifted the heavy equipment and followed Tamao-san around to the base, which seemed like a basement emptied for our investigation, it was a big room with a round table in the corner surrounded by couches.

"I hope you like it" Tamao-san gave me a small smile. "I don't know why this happens to Kei, he is terrified, however Kasai is unharmed like the spirits just want her to disappear for amusement." Her voice was sad and I couldn't help but pity her.

"Don't worry Atsuro-san we'll fix it, Naru can solve it" I said confidently and then Tamao-san gave a giggle.

"Naru, oh your fiancée?" I stared at her dumbly and just stuttered.

"Fiancée?"

"Oh Kei told me you were engaged to your boss."

"R-really?"

"Oh yes he said you looked like a definite couple." She paused and added "Oh and dear please call me Tamao". And with that piece of gossip she walked away but Lin came up to me with equipment in his hand, he looked at my gaping, red face and quietly said.

"Don't worry Taniyama-san, that was his way to obtain information from Maya-san, he was just asking questions in his way, he only has eyes for you" now that left me more scarlet than Tamao-san's comment. I tried to move but my mind seemed dazed, like it was absorbing info slowly, then I coughed violently and just went to do my work around the house, trying to ignore any unprofessional thoughts.

**General POV:**

Mai quietly did her work, hoping that the other SPR would come soon enough when she heard the voice of a little girl chanting happily.

_"Mommy, come play with me!"_

_"Mai dear don't run down the stairs, I'm just coming" _

_"Mommy I wanna play"_

_"Okay dear just wait for me to do the dishes."_

Mai felt her eyes widen and her throat turn to sandpaper, it sounded like her mother, just like her mother.

"_I'm home honey"_

Was it her father!?

The tears that had not fallen since 10 years, started to leak through her eyes, her memories came back; her father helping her do homework, her mother pampering her, playing with her and when she had taken her parents for granted they had died leaving behind a five-year old orphan. Mai started to cry loudly, the pain just made tears fall and she wailed as more memories and sounds rang in her head, the kitchen in which she used to help her mother, the first time she had got a prize at school, her birthdays, her mother's voice singing and playing the piano, everything deluged her mind….

"Make it stop" she pleaded, her hands over her ears. "Please stop!"

"_AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH_" A scream echoed in her head, the sound bouncing back and forth.

Then bad memories followed, memories she had erased from her mind. The day she had known that her parents had been murdered. Mai remembered a masked man driving a knife through her father's stomach and her mother's pleads and how she had escaped to the basement, sobbing in her sleep.

Her parents had fought many times because a man who happened to be her mom's school-fellow often visited the house with flowers and gifts and how her father had hated him. Every memory of her childhood that she wanted to forget came back in one moment giving her pain that made her cry more and more. The sounds never stopped they tormented her until Mai felt like she was falling into nothingness, her hand clutching her head to hang on to her sanity when she felt like being sucked into a black hole.

**Naru POV:**

The others had arrived in their usual fashion. Takigawa being beaten by Matsuzaki-san's purse, Yasuhara hanging on to Takigawa's arm chanting Mai's name asking for a hug, looking like a complete idiot, making me snarl mentally and mutter 'over my dead body' and I was seized with a desire to kick him. Why would he want to hug Mai. Sometimes I was forced to wonder why I agreed to work with total idiots like them but then again Mai would have used her magic on me, pouted, whined and smiled and forced me to agree. I had simply come back to Japan to ensure she hadn't ended up in ditches being the klutz she was.

"Hey Naru-chan where's Mai?" Yasuhara asked his glasses flashing and then I knew he had something going in his mind about her. That was when I heard her scream…

**WOOHOO. CHAPTER 3 COMPLETED!Review, review, review and enjoy life. Also let me notify you that I know I can't write much in Naru's POV. Anyways plz ****_do_**** give me suggestions.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Reflection**

**Hello to everybody reading the fourth chappie of this story and continuously reviewing. This chapter is dedicated to those who have reviewed so far. Thanks to:  
**

**Mariamalta98 **

**RosetheWolfgirl **

**Nicoleportalatin1987 **

**Hamda Shafiq **

**Hamda Shafique. **

**M**

**Kagome Pureheart**

**I really love u guys!**

**Anyways plz do keep on reviewing because they make me feel really happy!**

**With the SPR: LOCATION: Base**

"Her fever isn't coming down" Ayako announced tentatively looking at her neatly manicured hands to avoid the eyes of the other members.

"You are supposed to be a doctor's child, can't you make it come DOWN!" Monk didn't ask it, he scorned at her and couldn't help but feel terribly upset about the brunette sleeping on the couch, with tears continually streaming downed her face and her eyes shut tightly. Everybody bit their lip and looked at Mai whose face contorted in agony for one moment and changed to that of extreme happiness in the other. Mai was frequently fainting on cases but she didn't cry in her sleep nor did her face show multiple emotions and that was why worry had marked nearly everyone's face.

Ayako looked at Naru's face, the teenager was sitting straight in his chair staring at a pocket mirror on his desk. His face showed no worry or tension regarding Mai and he seemed to be intent upon averting his gaze from her.

"Naru we all know how handsome you are but this is not a time to be analyzing your beauty by glaring at the poor mirror" Ayako snapped as the boy's calm attitude made a volcano of rage erupt in her. Naru however did not seem unnerved in the least on the outside but only he knew how helpless he felt now that Gene was not in contact and Mai had not woken up since five hours.

"Matsuzaki-san, I would appreciate if you used your brain to wake Mai up instead of commenting on my handsomeness." He stated and picking up the mirror stalked out of the office only turning his head a bit to only glance at Mai, his eyes showing tints of worry.

"Matsuzaki-san" Lin calmly replied, after Naru had gone " You know him well enough to understand that he's appearing to be unconcerned but he is just as worried as all of us if not much more." Lin had noticed Naru gazing at Mai when he thought no one was watching but Lin had learnt to be ambidextrous with him.

"Perhaps Lin-san is right." John offered smiling sadly. "Kazuya was always concerned for Mai and he was not expecting the spirits to react so violently on the first day." Ayako nodded and looked at Yasu who was reading a stack of newspapers and every now and then was typing fervently in his laptop.

"Yasu are you alright? You seem to be out of yourself." He paused his typing and looked from above his laptop.

"I think it's frustrating, I can't find any records of this house anywhere, it's like someone did not want these records to be opened."

"Don't hurt him….." Mai mumbled in her sleep and groaned in pain.

That is when they heard Mai moan Naru's name and fidget on the couch uncontrollably.

"Naru…" she groaned again and then the tears started to seep out freely and her face distorted into sadness, ruining the sunshine perpetually present on her face.

"MOM! DAD!" she yelled violently before jerking straight out of the couch with her eyes wide open, glazed with tears and her white knuckles, clutching the sheet that covered her.

"Mai!" Ayako shrieked, running to the couch, Monk following her with relief evident in his face.

"Mai, oh my god you scared us so much" Monk breathed, hugging her tightly, his expression was clearly showing how much he cared for this daughter-like girl.

"Bou-san….huhhh….can't…breathe" Mai panted, trying to remind the monk that she was a girl not a toy he could choke with his cuddles.

"Thank God Mai, you gave us quite the scare." Ayako disposed of Monk with her purse and sat next to Mai, looking anxiously at her tear-stricken face that was heated with the fever. "Are you alright!"

Mai looked up at Ayako with fresh tears and started murmuring inaudible sentences.

"It hurt so much Ayako….so-s-so m-much, the knife, he killed them-m-my parents so terribly….and I just ran away and they-they wouldn't have died if I'd saved them…..i hate myself….myself…Gene….he didn't come….he…said….the case." The tears were rapid now and the words were stuck in her dry throat, she was about to burst in tears as the pain in her head multiplied when Naru walked in, his face composed but his eyes cold and dark…as if he was furious.

"Everybody out of the base, only Mai will stay here."

**Naru POV:**

"Mai, what happened?" I wanted her to answer me, I wanted her to tell me that she was alright but what I really wanted was Mai to yell at me for my lack of tact, to argue, like she did normally. Instead she did something that made me even more frantic. She started to cry in her hands and loudly.

"Mai." I repeated going to her side and sitting in front of her. "Look at me" I commanded as my conscience told me to console her in a more Gene-like way.

She didn't look at me but shook her head furiously while the tears leaked out of her fingers.

"Mai, I want you to answer me like an employee instead of crying like the world has ended" I didn't want to be mean to her, I didn't want to break her, I just hated when she cried mainly because I knew I wasn't there for her….and Gene was. By that comment I just wanted her to stop crying and actually answer me, say anything.

And then suddenly she looked up at me with wide confused eyes and a naïve face.

"Naru, why am I crying?" I look at her with a really, really mad expression, my façade had slipped away with that sentence. Here I thought she was in pain and the idiot girl asks me why she was crying. Then something came over me suddenly and with a sigh I suddenly hugged Mai, in relief….. I think.

**Mai POV:**

I just couldn't remember anything, a moment ago I had been crying and talking with somebody for a reason I don't remember and now when Naru told me to be an employee I just felt weird as if my brain had finally woken no, more like it had been born again suddenly so I just asked Naru why I was crying and then he got really mad, like I've asked him a stupid question. He sighed and then he hugged me tightly with his breathe coming unevenly as if he was tired.

I was so surprised that at first I knew nothing at all, only that Naru was clutching my hair gently, soothingly, with his face pressed in my shoulder.

"Mai, when you stop being like this?" he asked, his voice muffled, I was astonished but hugged him back.

"Naru, a-are you alright?" I asked as he broke away with a small smirk on his face.

"You fainted, you slept like a mole hibernating and then you wailed but all you ask is if I'm alright?"

I blushed, he was winning this, like always and I was just sitting dumbly wondering if the temperature of my face had risen because of my fever or my blush.

"Gene is lucky." He stated, the empty look returning to his eyes. I looked at him with a frown etching on my face.

"He's dead Naru, good way to be lucky." I murmur.

"He has you."

"Don't you have me?" I asked, suddenly feeling bold, why can't he understand my feelings, why does he think it's Gene.

He looked at me, eyebrows raised.

"I can't be

lieve you are two-timing my brother, Taniyama Mai"

"Do you mind it" I asked, the blush deepening.

He looked at me, the smirk widening considerably.

"No." he stated and then added. "However I do not want my dead twin to haunt you I can't protect you seeing as the number of dead that hate you is growing considerably." And with that snarky comment, he stood up and exited the room as the color drained out of my face.

"NARUUU!" I screeched as I try to calm myself, he was just flirting like he did with Maya-san, he was being himself…..just flirting.

**General POV:**

"It seems that the spirits just want to remind Mai of terrible things and then remove it to their will. They can control Mai's memories." Naru said, pacing calmly around the room. Mai looked up tentatively as the team kept on contradicting each other.

"But when she woke up, she spoke about murders and that Gene was not there and gibberish, how can't she remember it all now." Ayako protested.

"Lacunar amnesia?!" Yasu suggested, adjusting his glasses and found everybody glaring at him.

"Maybe, the spirit want someone who looks like my Mai" Naru narrowed his eyes at monk and then his face relaxed as if he had realized something.

"Maybe."

"I think we should wait for Masako to come and perform a séance." John advised and suddenly spoke up. "Mates aren't we supposed to talk to Kasai, she must be back by now."

And suddenly the door flew open and a little girl with cinnamon eyes and short brown hair walked in followed by Tamao-san.

Mai's eyes widened.

_She look like me! Exactly like me! She's like my six-year old version. _Mai panicked and she felt her eyes on stalks when she saw the look on the girl's face, cheerful and bubbly….like hers!

"Ladies and Gentlemen meet my daughter Kasai"

**OOOOHHHH, major cliffie but I promise to update soon and guys please do update and stick with me throughout this story and any comments, advices, suggestions and notification and welcomed. Reviews are keeping me alive so unless you want me dead plz do review….**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: The Other Side Of The Picture.**

**Hello dear readers, so here is the fifth installment of this story just for you folks, so I hope you enjoy it and btw plz do review, because they encourage me to write more.**

**On another note, the amount of reviews you guys send have dropped drastically =-(, so let me know if you like it, hate it or are just bored. I'll appreciate criticism, so yeah r&r. and I'd like to tell MissNovel that I did use red by swift in the second chap because it is the most suitable and I have read her fic 'red'. Good oneJ anyone I don't own ghost hunt or anything else for that matter. *sigh* **

**Mai POV:**

How I ended up in Naru's room with Kasai- I still don't know, but I'm sure of two things. One that now when Naru has seen that Kasai looks almost like me, except smaller, his mind is running at 100 miles per second. Two that he'll be annoying the young girl with his interrogation and he would be insulting my small brain when I demand a hypothesis.

**_Flashback:_**

_"Ladies and Gentlemen meet my daughter Kasai" Tamao-san had introduced a young girl of around six who seemed almost like Mai's clone; what with her cinnamon eyes, brown, short hair and petite form. Her facial expressions also rivalled that of the brunette assistant of SPR, cheerful, with a big smile plastered on her face._

_"What the-" Monk had stuttered in shock, Yasu almost fell from his seat but was saved by the papers he was holding. Ayako, who had been perfecting her lipstick in the mirror had smeared the red colour across her jawline in shock, while Lin had stopped typing, looking curiously at John who had gasped and then had raised his eyebrows at Kasai._

_Naru was the first one to recover from the shock and he carefully assessed the girl with his blue eyes utterly blank._

_Tamao-san had scrutinized at Mai and then had gasped in surprise._

_"Oh my god, Mai-chan! You look almost like Kasai!"_

_"I-I know" Mai had felt completely lost and dazed and the thing that brought her back to earth had been Naru's voice._

_"Mai bring Kasai with you in my room. We need to talk." And for a moment Naru had sounded almost like smug, like he had solved a Sudoku puzzle in record time. Mai had followed him, forgetting about her fever or anything else, her hand clasping Kasai's, who had her scrunched up curiously._

**_End of flashback_**

"Naru we're waiting…" I whined; Naru had been standing by the window, his eyes unnervingly blank, his hand poised gracefully under his chin and his other hand in his pocket. Kasai tugged at my sleeve and I looked at her questioningly.

"S'cuse me but don't you think that this mister is scary." She asked uncertainly, her cinnamon eyes wide.

_He is scary and a jerk, a total narcissist, his blue eyes can charm or chill anyone and oh yeah he drinks gallons of tea without having to go to the toilet every hour._

I grinned at Kasai.

"He's really, really smart but otherwise he is a big jerk."

"Jerk?" Kasai inquired, incredulously.

"Oh yeah, you see his good looks can't make up for his rude behaviour" I whispered conspirationally, but kept my voice loud enough for Naru to hear and as expected, he finally decided to stop being the Statue of Liberty.

"Mai, I expect you to remember that I am your boss and it is due to this job that you didn't end up in ditches, so think and then talk" He stated and then resumed his former posture. What did he say, that JERK! Ditches- how dare he ever think I would end up in ditches without this job. I-I want to murder him!

"Mai, now answer me." He directed his gaze towards me. " Do you know Kasai outside this case?"

"No, I don't."

"Kasai?"

"I don't know, I just don't like the way Mom cries every time I disappear and then she cries a lot when Dad gets hurt." Kasai was now crying loudly, her wide eyes teary. I fumed and whipped my head to glare at Naru.

"Naru!" I yelled. "Can't you give her a break!"

Naru turned to me and raised his eyebrows.

"Mai if you don't like the way I conduct my research you can quit."

"What the Hell Naru!" I screeched furiously and we would've continued to argue if not for Kasai.

"Oh please! both of you leave your lovey-dovey tiff for the end, solve my PROBLEM!" She yelled, tears invading her eyes rapidly and I felt thoroughly ashamed.

"I-I'm so sorry Kasai, will you please try to tell us some more." I stuttered

Kasai sniffed and looked up at Naru, smiling sadly.

"No that's alright in fact you looked really cute, both of you." I coughed loudly while Naru just smirked and with a simple gesture of his hand, told Kasai to continue.

"Sometimes the spirits just tease Dad, like he hears screams of a woman at night and sometimes knives are thrown at him and then he dreams of dead bodies but after sometimes he just forgets it all." Kasai looked frightened with, her eyes shut. I patted her back and then Naru did something unexpected.

**General POV:**

He bowed down to reach at Kasai's level, looked straight at her and then he patted her head, giving her a rare smile. Mai smiled freely, feeling proud that Naru was learning something to do with people's feelings.

"Hey it's alright sweetie" Mai bent down and Kasai looked at both of them before continuing her story.

"I don't know why they capture only me, I mean I don't even remember it, I just wake up and realize I'm not in my room but in the basement but mom cries a lot." She shuddered.

Mai looked at Naru tentatively, thinking if he had some theories.

"Kasai can you take us to the basement."

She sniffed before complying to Naru's command and clasped Mai's hand.

"Lets go Mai-chan!" she chanted before dragging a giggling Mai out of the room. Naru followed both of them warily, the pieces were connecting in his mind and he had a feeling that Mai was the centre of all of the problems.

Meanwhile Mai was walking slowly through the corridors as a different feeling welled up inside her.

_She remembered walking through those corridors holding her mother's hand, singing a song that invaded her memories._

_Twinkle, twinkle little star_

_How I wonder what you are_

_Up above the world so high_

_Like a diamond in the sky….._

_She still remembered all those happy moments and as she walked through the corridors the nostalgia ran through her veins._

Mai shook her head trying to clear away all the tears that were gathering at the base of her eyes and turned to Naru.

"Ne, Naru, I've been thinking."

He looked at her for a moment before an amused glitter covered his cerulean blue eyes.

"Thinking" he paused, putting his fingers under his chin. "I thought that was past your mental capability."

Mai gritted her teeth, trying to keep up a calm façade.

"Yeah, I feel like I've been over here before, like I know this place, it just reminds me of my childhood."

At that statement Naru's head snapped towards Mai.

"Go on" he simply commanded and Mai told her the feeling she had just experienced.

Naru just continued ignoring any other thing Mai said but put his thinking to work. Mai felt like she had been to this place and then what with Mai forgetting everything right after experiencing it and then Gene not contacting him and saying something about parents seemed fitting but the idea still seemed obscure and distant.

"We're here!" Kasai chirruped and the voice reminded him of Mai whenever she bought him tea in his office. That seemed to be the sole reason why he was a little fond of Kasai.

He continued to keep thinking about the case and the client's stories, while Mai snooped around the basement, opening drawers after drawers and cupboards after cupboards, giggling when she saw some old pictures.

"Hey Kazuya-chan" Kasai spoke conversationally, twisting her hair. "Your fiancée is pretty nice"

Naru looked at the girl with his eyebrows raise and his lips twitched a little bit upwards, in a mini- smirk. First the girl has the nerve to call him by chan and then she thinks that Mai Is his fiancée.

"Is she really?" Naru pretended to think about it.

"Don't you think so"

"Kasai, how old are you really?" Mai asked from a corner, oblivious to any other conversation.

"Eight years old Mai-chan" Mai dropped a box she was holding.

"B-But you look like six or so" Mai slowly spoke and Naru also seemed a bit taken aback.

Kasai just laughed and Mai went back to being Sherlock Holmes.

"So don't you think so?" Kasai asked again.

"Kasai I think the spirits mistake you for Mai" Naru said more to himself.

"Huh-" but Kasai was not able to say anything as Mai's shocked squeak interrupted the silence.

Naru ran towards her, and saw a photo frame drop from Mai's small hands, he picked it up and flicked away the dust.

It was a pretty simple picture but what distinguished it was that the girl in the centre of a couple looked just like Kasai. The woman on her left was not Tamao-san but a beautiful woman with long brown hair and the man on the girl's right was smiling and had cinnamon coloured eyes.

Slowly, Naru looked at Mai in confusion, why had she shrieked like that for this picture, it could just be Kasai with her aunt and uncle, Mai answered by extending one of her hands to turn the picture while the other hand covered her mouth.

The back simply said:

_Left to right:_

_Taniyama Megumi- Taniyama Mai- Taniyama Yahiro_

And then it hit Naru like a giant wave.

They were Mai's parents….

Mai looked like she was torn, her eyes were starting to fill with tears.

Naru now understood what Gene meant by parents, he had meant Mai's parents and then slowly some of the pieces started to fit. Like why did the spirits just kidnap Kasai and did never hurt her; they had confused Kasai with Mai but why were Mai's parents haunting Atsuro. Now he understood the reason for Mai feeling nostalgic, it used to be her former house where she had lived before her parent's death.

Mai was now freely crying, the tears leaving tracks on her face, her agony evident. Naru was about to tell Mai to go to base when the walls started to shake violently…..

**I'm really sorry if u found this chapter trash, it was a sort of filler and I can tell you that this story is nearing the end, so hang on with me and review because I like reading your comments. On other notice I'm starting another story and I hope you'll like that one. Reviews, suggestions, advices, just PM me. Stay happy and enjoy life…**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: The Summoning**

**Hello dear readers, so here is a update because I hate to leave my stories on a cliffhanger, although I can tell you that I'm not impressed with this story and that a second story is on the way(which is way cooler). Also thanks to Nicoleportalatin1987 and Hamda Shafique who made me smile goofily with their reviews and also reviewed this story for like the fourth time and I am taking all reviews and advices really seriously. Thanks a lot!**

**Me: Masako please proceed with the show.**

**Masako: She does not and can never known Ghost Hunt's ingenious plot nor can she own someone as beautiful and genius like me.**

**Me: Conceited**

**Masako: Well at least I am pretty and famous.**

**Me: Shut up or I'll make your pair with Yasu, anyway review and tell me which pairing do you guys like; MasakoxYasu or MasakoxJohn.**

**Masako: Uh….*sweat drops* on with the story…**

**General POV:**

Mai pressed her hands over her ears as the walls around her shook violently, she felt like every part of her body was crying, no more like- wailing. Fatigue flowed through her veins and her head throbbed painfully as the noise multiplied following all memories she had forgotten, nothing mattered in her life anymore as memories flashed in her brain making her scream in pain while tears splattered everywhere.

_Her job, all those times Naru had hurt her with his words and actions, all those moments that were happy for a minute but turned to agony in the other seconds, like-like her confession to Naru. After those simple words rolled off her tongue, she felt a glimmer of hope as Naru's eyes widened a fraction and then his facial expression turned to that of some realization as if he had realized something and then he said those words that opened all wounds Mai carried._

_"Me or Gene?"_

_And he had turned around giving her a small smile and left her crying and stunned in the rain, left for a good two years, years she had struggled, trying to get on with life and realizing at every moment Naru had left her in a void, dark and empty._

_The time of her parent's funeral when her teacher had told her that her parents had passed away. She remembered those moments when it dawned upon her that she would never see her parents again; that she would never be able to see her mother's smile or hear her singing and that she would never have to rush to the door to welcome her dad,, that she was an orphan-a helpless orphan. She still remembered it, all those people in black, empathizing with her but none of them really wanted to do anything with Mai, her parents had left her with almost nothing except for some money and possessions. Only her teacher had sensed her plight and offered her a home. She remembered how people had thrown flowers at her parent's grave, how she later realized that nobody was really sorry, throwing flowers had just been a formality and she still remembered that man. The one who had mutilated her parents till they were past recognition._ _The bodies, they were bloody and-and distorted beyond words, he was the one who had taken all the money for himself and she still remembered his green eyes, daunting and immovable as he leaned down and whispered in her ears. "Mai-chan, your father just didn't belong to your mother. I hope I never see you again." _

"Make it stop! NARU Make it STOP!" She yelled as her petite form sank to the ground.

"Please, JUST MAKE IT STOP! STOP-STOP NOW" Mai kept on yelling as her mind hurt and her tears threatened to destroy her sanity.

Mai's hands slid away from her ears to her hair when she realized that the violent shaking had stopped and Naru was shaking her by the shoulders.

"What- how-did- I, I…." the tears made it really difficult for her to breathe and form a coherent sentence.

"Idiot." Naru growled under his breath and a worried look crossed his eyes momentarily when Mai didn't respond at his insult. Usually when the brunette was alright she would wage a verbal war against the narcissist but when she was tired and out of herself, Mai simply listened with her head hanging. It had become a sign for Naru, and boy, did he often carry out this experiment to confirm his hypothesis.

"Mai." He repeated, his voice returning to its cold, monotonous type. She didn't reply, her face was blank and looked like she was just reeling from some horrid memory. Kasai looked green and her face was distorted in worry, and then she started crying.

"I don't know why they are hurting her.." she hiccupped and tried to calm down herself. Naru, however was yelling in his mind for Gene to contact him, he merely turned around as the Atsuro family and the SPR barged inside, fear stretching across their faces.

"N-Naru what happened to Jou-chan?" Monk worriedly rushed to her side and Ayako followed him, her normally make-up full face now twisted into a grim face. Tamao-san was horrified and Maya-san who looked a typical mess with her headphones dangling from her neck, gasped in terror. Atsuro-san looked like an emotional, his green eyes dull and his grey hair disheveled.

"Where is Yasu." Naru slipped his façade and turned to the team. "Tell him to research the house's history. Lin was about to tell the boy in black that his command was already being executed, when Yasuhara burst in the room, his hair sticking up and his hands holding a stack of papers.

"N-nharu" he panted heavily. "Youwon'tbelievewhatIjustfoundout" he mixed his words and his rambling incoherently deeply irritated Naru.

"Yasuhara I know I'm smart but I am incapable of reading minds, please enlighten me." He snapped and Yasu immediately turned to serious when he saw Mai's condition, she was lying on the ground with her cinnamon eyes wide open and her whole face like a plain sheet; expressionless.

"The house belonged to the Taniyama's before their mysterious murder." Naru nodded and felt a sudden tug in his mind before he felt a little relieved.

Gene was in contact.

"Everyone take Mai to base, contact Hara-san immediately and tell her to be ready for a summoning tonight. Tell her it's urgent. Lin go make a file on Yasuhara's information. Takigawa, Miss Matsuzaki be ready for an exorcism."

"We are going to exorcize the spirits right." Ayako turned to Naru and her eyes flashed.

"I never said it was going to be vampires." Naru spoke sarcastically and before a mad Ayako could test her manicure on Naru's face, Monk turned to Naru.

"So we are going to exorcize….Mai's parents?" he asked slowly, examining Naru's face for some emotion.

"In short. Yes"

"b-but shouldn't Mai know about this." Naru didn't reply because the tugging in his mind increased, indicating that Gene was impatient. He knew that Takigawa's question could wait for explanation.

"No." he stated shortly before turning around and striding out of the room, reaching for the mirror in his pockets, when the message of Mai's parents flashed in his minds.

"_We need you honey." _It had been scribbled on the walls after the shaking had stopped.

**General POV:**

"Gene" he could hear the growl in his voice. "Where were you?"

"I have my own life to enjoy" Gene sarcastically commented.

"What is happening to Mai?"

He looked tense which was something new.

"Noll, look I don't have much time but Mai's parents are blocking me and I'm afraid they'll try to take Mai-" he raised his eyebrows and almost snarled the next words.

"What exactly do you mean by that?"

"Noll, they are taking Mai away because they think she is unhappy."

"She is not unhappy" Naru stated, Mai was not unhappy, she had a job, friends, she was a latent psychic and she had SPR.

"Oh yeah right, you are not supposed to be unhappy, when you are an orphan, when you work for a jerk, when you see his dead twin in your nightmares along with experiencing deaths vicariously or when the same jerk rejects you just because he thinks you prefer his dead brother." Gene looked vexed and accusingly snapped at Naru.

"You are being illogical Gene." Naru felt his eyebrows furrow together. Gene was being dense, denser than usual.

"Whatever" Gene scoffed. "They have everything planned and I know most of their history, except for why they hate Atsuro so much."

"I'm summoning them tonight" Naru informed him shortly.

"I-I don't know about that, I know they're angry and oh before I go, there is something I need to tell you" Gene made that information sound important that even Naru looked eager, unlike his usual demeanor…..

Masako was covering her mouth with her kimono sleeve, looking at Naru with a disturbed look in her grey eyes.

"Oliver Davis." She quietly spoke. "You do realize that if you exorcize Mai's parents you are going to be hurting her,_ potentially"_ she emphasized.

Naru looked at Masako, if this conversation would have been going on between them two years ago, he would have been surprised. Masako never cared for Mai but after his return the two seemed to be very close friends.

"I do realize the risks Hara-san"

"And do you care?" she asked, her tone full of feeling.

"I do not."

"Then you are an idiot." She pulled the sleeve away, her eyes were full of pity for Mai. Naru tried to stop himself from choking on his tea. She wouldn't call him an idiot two years ago, at that time he was her fake date.

"Hara-san please prepare for the summoning, I assure you everything will be according to plan."

"Assurance, Oliver." She paused and looked up again. "Is something Mai needs, I have had enough of it."

Naru finally looked up from his black notebook to see the young medium gracefully exit his office, the sleeve having resumed its former position. Yasu was still researching about the murder of the Taniyama's while Mai was still upset and in her room with Ayako, who was changing into her priestess clothes and comforting Mai to the best extent.

He hated working with sentimentalists.

The room was quiet and dark, giving the faint impression of being a void, the only source of illumination in the room seemed to be from the candles that circled the table, making shadows on the face of everyone in the room.

"Miss Hara proceed now." Naru ordered monotonously and everybody starting taking their places around the table.

"Tamao-san please hold Maya-san's hand and continue this chain, yes that is correct, Maya-san I'm afraid you can't sit next to Kazuya-san, Mai sit next to him and hold his Kasai's hand. Exactly now Kazuya-san please take Lin's hand and everybody I want you all to concentrate," Masako stopped giving the arrangement directions and added softly. "Concentrate and oh Mai, do not cry in front of your parents. Everybody, please try to keep yourself calm and cool, blank and fresh."

Most of the people were grumbling about the seats which Masako had given them, but all commotion subsided when Masako's face went deathly blank.

Mai's heartbeat sped up and her eyes threatened to water up when she felt squeezes on her hand, one was assuring and on was protective.

Naru was squeezing Mai's hand protectively, he knew that Mai was beyond hurt and was torn and he wondered of her reaction when he told her he would be exorcizing her parents.

All was quiet for a few minutes before the candle wick swayed and it felt like a gush of wind had entered the seemingly closed room.

_Please, don't cry, please don't cry._ She tried to assure herself and told herself of all the good things in the world for her.

Two translucent figures gracefully descended from the ceilings, their expressions calm.

"Are you the Taniyamas?" Masako asked quietly, her grey eyes scanning the.

Mai's eyes snapped open at the name of her parents. What appeared in front of her were two spirits, one, a man with wide cinnamon eyes and black hair and a woman with a beautiful face and long billowing brown hair and green eyes.

"Mom….Dad" Mai gulped, her eyes brimming with tears.

"Megumi-chan?" Atsuro gasped and the spirits nodded before their gaze fell on Mai.

"Mai?" her mother asked, her voice full of pain. Mai wanted to turn and ask Atsuro how he came to know of her mother at all.

Both spirits slowly floated towards Mai and Mai felt another squeeze on her hand, it was protective which meant it was Naru's. she returned the squeeze, trying to answer without cracking her voice.

"Mom and Dad who-who killed you?" Mai asked quietly and saw the pained expression on her mother's face as her mother lifted a finger to point at a person. Her finger floated in the air before it settled on one particular person.

Atsuro Kei.

"He." Her mother spoke and turned to Mai.

"Mai, honey we love you, have always." Her father spoke smiling sadly. Mai felt like breaking, the client, that is how she remembered him, he had been the killer, the murderer, he had deprived her parental love, he-he….

"Come. Join us" her mother extended her arm, expecting Mai to hold it. Mai felt the tears come and she bit her lip, before her brain urged her to take her mother's offer when a firm hand clutched hers and next she heard Naru's voice; cold, indifferent and commanding.

"Not yet."

** I'm sorry if you didn't like this chapter and if you have some complaints just leave a review with your suggestions. Also I'm not an expert on séances and summoning so forgive my mistakes. If you are looking for a good story I suggest "Symphony of Blood" by FireNemesis and "The Forest of Blood and Snow" by RoseWolfthegirl.**

**Goodbye and don't forget to leave a review, even of a word before you click on the follow/favorite button. Plz do review.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: The Choices.**

**So here is chapter 7 written just because I loved the reviews you guys gave me and can't just contain my happiness. Thank you to the following for their reviews:**

**RieveVonBielefeld-YuunaSouma- yes I am going to end this on chap 8 I think. Thanks for the reviewJ**

**fabian1nina1- sorry for the cliffie and a bunch of thanks for encouraging me XD **

** sweet usako-mamo chan- You literally made me giggle with your review and then my brother was looking at me as if I was weird. Thanks a lot!**

**Nicoleportalatin1987: well thank you so much, I mean a lot, you review and encourage me to no ends. I hope the ending satisfies you.**

**NaginiFay: I'm sorry if my not mentioning AU confused you or anything else. I'm new here so its just that I didn't know most of the terms. By the way thanks a lot for reviewingJ**

**Hamda Shafique: Seriously Hamda, if you keep on reviewing like that I'll end up having a big pride almost like Naru's and I'm sure you won't like that or will you? Anyway love you.**

**So yeah *****_why do I have to say this* _****I don't own ghost hunt or anything else. The plot of this fan fiction is the sole creation of my not-so genius brother. If I owned ghost hunt….lets just say that it would be really, really bad for Naru. Mwahahaha!**

**General POV:**

Mai felt happy and sad at the same time, a different feeling erupted in her stomach and travelled to her veins, rushing like adrenaline. Every breath was uneven and staggering; there were her mother and father, smiling at her, asking her to leave this world and join them. She wanted to leave Naru's grasp and rush in her mother's arms, to finally feel that her parents loved her and she loved them much more, she wanted to talk her heart out and never leave their side, to tell them that they had a eighteen-year old psychic daughter who apparently had numerous powers and was growing.

"Mom….Dad.." she whispered again, feeling Naru grasp her hand more tightly and she looked at him from the corner of her eyes. His expression was quiet and calm, his eyes were closed and his knuckles were whiter than usual.

"Not yet." He simply pulled her back in her place as she was going to touch the translucent figures in front of her. Mai suddenly felt enraged and the sensation of killing herself raged inside her.

"Naru! Let me go, I want to go with them." She spoke quietly, squirming against his tight clutch on her hand. Why didn't Naru understand? She was tired of living, working, of nightmares, of hunting ghosts, tired of trying to give up on him, tired of being rejected and accepted, tired of everything there was left. Maybe he didn't realize but ever since he had returned from England, she had been furious, angry and somehow happy, but when he acted more and more like a jerk with each passing day, she had simply been exhausted. Exhausted of being accused that she fancied someone dead, exhausted of experiencing the deaths of others, exhausted of Naru's hot and cold attitude towards her and then she had failed to realize something.

_He was just as confused as her._

He had gone to England thinking it would simply solve all problems, he would probably forget everything, the team, the cases, the amount of tea he drank and importantly Mai. But was he wrong, he never forgot anything; mainly because Madoka and Lin brought up all these subjects very often and his mother wanted him to respond to everything related to Japan. Lin had managed to make an album on Japan without his knowledge or consent. Pictures of their days in the office, their cases, individual pictures of each member, videos featuring Mai who was telling stories of his cruelty and jerkiness.

Then he had decided to simply go back and put Gene and Mai in the back of his mind. He knew they both liked each other, they were together in dreams, they smiled at each other, probably laughed and hugged but he- he was a workaholic, handsome but nonetheless a jerk in the brunette's opinion, a boss who had no right to rule upon her. he knew it was Gene and decided that he was no substitute for his twin and Mai was just confused like all the girls at school who confessed to Naru, mistaking him for Gene.

In truth he was tired, tired of watching Mai secretly, tired of finding excuses to argue with her and amuse himself, tired of insults, tired of being compared to his twin and tired of just everything he laid eyes upon.

"Naru let go." Mai demanded even more quietly and Naru growled.

"Mai, stop being an idiot." Mai bit her lip in anger but stopped squirming as her mother spoke up.

"Oliver" she said. "You too miss something in life, maybe we can bring it back."

And then right in front of every body's eyes another translucent figure started to materialize.

A figure that looked exactly like Naru, what with the disheveled black hair and cerulean blue eyes, Naru's twin started to take a proper shape.

It was Eugene Davis.

"Gene.." Naru's mask slipped off and bewilderment spread all over his face, beside him Mai also repeated one word while Gene finally smiled nervously at him.

"Hey there Noll, Mai." Megumi looked closely as Naru's face lost the shock and contorted into pain.

"No freaking way.." Monk breathed his words

"Gene?" Lin asked in shock, his bangs not covering his eyes.

"You want him back Oliver and you know it, you can have him back." Naru looked even more shocked, these spirits could bring back his twin, his brother, he was about to eagerly respond with a yes when Yahiro raised a finger.

"If-"

"If what?" Naru tried to keep himself from snapping at him.

"If you give us Mai, and you have to kill her Oliver, if you do that you can have Gene back."

Naru and Mai turned their heads to look at each other. Brown met blue and a staring contest started between the two.

_Mai. Don't listen to them._

_They are my parents, Naru._

_I won't sacrifice you._

_Do it. You want Gene back don't you?_

_Mai, do you think I'm an idiot to sacrifice a human being just to bring back someone dead. That only may sound better odds to you._

_Naru, I'm tired, we both are, we are just a problem for each other. Why not do what we both wish. You let me join my parents and they give Gene to you. You'll be happy Naru._

_Mai, it is illogical._

_Yes exactly, everything is illogical, my life, Gene's death, your attitude, my attitude, everything in life is not science Oliver._

_Mai, you should use your brain more than your heart._

_I know, my heart hurts me every time I use it but the brain doesn't help to alleviate pain Naru._

_Mai. Do you want to die so desperately._

_You want Gene back desperately, do it, it won't hurt._

_Mai._

_I'll feel lucky._

_Being dead is not lucky._

_Right now it is._

He looked away and then considered his chances. He could save Mai and make the SPR happy but he could save Gene and make a million people happy; mother, father, Lin, Madoka and everybody who knew him. It would make a difference, it was a difficult choice but he knew exactly how to differentiate. After all he was Dr. Oliver Davis.

"I've decided-" he spoke up and the whole SPR turned around to face him, eyes were wide full of anticipation. Yahiro and Megumi also looked at him, their faces eager.

He hesitated again as he felt Miss Hara's grey eyes scrutinizing him full of questions.

"I'll take Gene-" he stated, closing his eyes which made him ignore the fact that two shiny tears leaked out of Mai's eyes as her heart threatened to start crying. He never liked her, he knew she was worthless, a useless excuse for life and he was going to kill her. she was no longer happy about joining her parents and then she realized how much she wanted to be with Naru, how much she wanted to live.

But then she realized something else too.

_It was too late to turn back, too late to make an exception. Just too late._

**Yes another cliffie, one more chapter to go and then the end, I hope you will stay tuned for the last chapter. Will Naru really sacrifice Mai, if so how will he do it? Will he regret it at all or will he start all over again. I know this was short but I promise the murder of the Taniyamas would be revealed along with other secrets. And…if I don't get like five reviews at least, I won't update. and btw it's started to rain and I am so enjoying it!yes, no heat of the sun anymore. Woooohoooooo.**


	8. Chapter 8: Finale

**Chapter 8: Revelations.**

**Hallo readers, so here we are with the last chapter of this story. I love you all because you gave me like 9 reviews for the previous chapter…. So thanks a bunch for all of them. Here are the answers to your reviews:**

**sweet usako-mamo chan: I really am sorry for the cliffie it was just that I wanted to think of a satisfying end and here is the update you asked for. Do leave a review please…I want to know how much of a job I did. Thanks again:-)**

**Hamda Shafique: OH NO, I am sooooooo scared, please don't kill me when I come back to school, and I am sorry for leaving the story on a crucial point but then again you wouldn't want a rushed ending would you? Thanks for the review:-D**

**Ferb O. Oche: LOL, Noll is being an idiot scientist like he always is but Mai is also being dense, I mean are they both blind or what, why can't they see it when we can. Btw thanks a bucket full for the review!**

**fabian1nina1: Seriously? On the edge of your seat?! Wow I have got to read my story again to see the exciting part. Anyways thanks for your comment. A lot.**

**EverlastingRyo: Naru would totally say that if he wasn't in an internal conflict and I'll make it super sure that the jerk goes under a little bit of trauma before he confesses to Mai. I loved the review. PS: You didn't have to beg for another update, just review and I would start it there and then.**

**RieveVonBielefeld-YuunaSouma: The wait is over, here is your last chapter! Hope you enjoy and never ever forget to review!**

**Animejuliet: At first it did sound cruel but on second thought, you are right, that jerk totally need to suffer for his big pride.**

**Fish-in-Bowl: I understand how annoying cliffhangers are but then again I needed time, thanks a lot for your review.**

**Natalya Lee 09: it's okay if you don't like the story, but you should have at least given a reason so I could have avoided any mistake next time.**

**Bee: Thanks!**

**I know its long but let me call Mai, Naru and Gene for a farewell party.**

**Naru: At last this stupid, rotten story is going to end.**

**Mai: I HATE YOU! Look at chapter 2, 4, 5, 6, 7; YOU PRACTICALLY TORTURED ME!**

**Gene: *Throws tomatoes at the writer***

**Naru: She never owned me, never at all. She simply owns 0.01% of grey matter in her brain.**

**Me: *huffs* yeah right.**

**General POV:**

The room was quiet. Deathly quiet. A strange misery wafted through the air mixed with sorrow and Mai found it even more difficult to breathe. Her senses were not reacting and were working at an unusually slow pace, her eyes were closed as his words properly sunk in her brain and her throat constricted, her heart clenched and she tried to maintain her calm posture. But she knew-she knew well that she was breaking from the inside, like a china vase that slipped from someone's hands and broken.

Even dying would hurt less than his words, they were like daggers, ripping her minds to shreds, making her cry and she knew it was not the first time, this had happened to her. It had happened a lot of times but it hurt so much this time. He had made the choice in a second, in a second he had termed his brother's life more valuable than Mai's, in a second he had agreed to her parent's choice, it all had happened in a mere second.

Everything in her life depended on a second, every answer, every choice, every second had broken her more and she regretted everything, everything; her weakness, her stupidity, her clumsiness, her fake smile.

She was never pretty, nor was she intelligent, nor was she elegant than why had she ever expected him to accept her that way. She was stupid, idiot and a complete foolish. He was worlds apart from her, he was rich, he was a born genius, he had looks and she had nothing. In the end he was Oliver Davis and she was Mai, just Mai Taniyama. Then why had these reasons never occurred to her, why had she blinded herself with all the stupid fluff in novels.

Things in reality were harsher, problems weren't solved on the hundredth page of life unlike in novels. Reality was harsh and cold, heart rending and she was discovering it at that very minute when he had chosen Gene.

_On that very second, at that very phrase, it all occurred to her._

"N-Naru" Ayako gasped, her hand flying to her mouth and then her eyes flashed dangerously.

"You are not doing it at all, you cannot kill her." Ayako shook her head slowly and leaned on the table, glaring at Naru.

He looked at her sternly and then a tired look crossed his eyes.

"Miss Matsuzaki, it is none of your business."

"Sacrificing seems to you like a business?" Monk demanded furiously, standing up and waving his hand at Naru.

"Wake up Oliver Davis, see what you've done you brat!"

"Takigawa, I have done nothing that I should repent upon."

He was right he had done nothing, nothing at all, she had been stupid, she had allowed herself to dream and think beyond her limits, she was the culprit and she was suffering….suffering for everything, every single mistake her heart had made.

"I'm going." He slowly stood up and shoved his hands in the pockets of his trench coat, stalking away. Nobody stopped him, nobody at all, because they knew he wanted to be alone, he wanted to think and pass time until the time for the sacrifice came.

"We'll meet for it after an hour." He stated, his back turned to them.

"By it Oliver" Masako asked, her voice calm. "You mean the sacrifice."

He had heard her, he had heard her question because he had slightly turned his head.

"Yes" he spoke, his monotonous voice echoed in the room and then in Mai's head, bouncing back and forth.

"I guess I'll go to" she stood up slowly, her voice hoarse and still calm, like she agreed with her narcissistic boss.

Ayako noticed the tension between the two and her heart hurt when she looked at Mai.

The fake smile was still in its place, but the cheeks were not tainted with their pink instead a deathly paleness had taken over, her head was hanging and she slowly navigated her way to her room, ignoring the cries of everybody.

The three spirits had vanished as soon as both boss and assistant had gone, leaving the whole SPR and the Atsuro family behind, confused and upset.

"I can't believe Kazuya will do this.." John sadly looked at his hands on the table.

"He is silly, they both are silly.." Monk was muttering under his breath, pacing the room, mumbling to himself. Lin looked like he was furious and suddenly stood up, stalking out of the room with his bangs covering his eyes.

"Where are you going Lin- we have to figure out something…" Ayako stood up to face the Chinese.

"To call Madoka." He grimly spoke.

Ayako nodded but she doubted if Madoka would be able to do something that would make Naru back off, she was persuasive but in a situation like this Naru would be scarier than ever.

"I told him he was being foolish" Masako shook her head and her smooth black hair whirled.

Atsuro and his family looked pale and confused.

"What is happening, who were the spirits, why are they after Kei?" Tamao-san demanded of Ayako who disposed her fury to the former.

"You ask me?" Ayako screeched and pointed an accusing finger at Atsuro. "ASK HIM.."

Atsuro turned to a nasty pale color, his grey eyes darting around the room, nervously.

"HE MURDERED TWO PEOPLE FOR GOD'S SAKE!" Ayako yelled, her red hair swishing as she threw glaring daggers at the man.

Tamao looked at her husband and gasped loudly, Maya and Kasai also looked at their father an incredulous look on their faces.

"You are lying." Tamao accused the miko quietly.

"Dad…" Kasai was looking at him in terror.

"Oh yes, you do believe your husband but let me say he murdered an innocent couple without any valid reason."

"Kei-" Tamao-san gasped again and tears leaked out of her eyes.

" Why?" she inquired weakly.

Atsuro sighed and gripped the table.

"Megumi-chan." He spoke slowly. "We were great friends, me, Yahiro and Megumi, I told him I was about to ask Megumi to marry me, but-but"

Atsuro's green eyes reflected sheer fury and anger.

"He did it- and she agreed, I was angry, why did he cheat his friend, I treated him like a brother and he ruined my happiness. Then I decided to go visit her and then I went there regularly-until"

"Until-" Tamao looked wretched.

"He told me to stay away from his wife and his daughter. He threatened to fight me and give me over to police and then I decided to kill him."

"Just like that?" Tamao asked weakly not believing her husband's vice and his calm confession. Like murdering people was perfectly acceptable.

"I killed him and I killed Megumi too- she was a worthless excuse, her life didn't matter at all when her husband would die, so I sent her to him."

"Why did you spare Mai-san?"

"She looked like Megumi" he simply answered and didn't notice Ayako's temper reach the boiling point.

"He is going to pay for it-" she muttered to herself and didn't notice Yasu slip from the room with a heavy album in his hands.

**Mai POV:**

The cold water soothed me a bit, it bought me back, it made me wide awake and helped me to concentrate on everything, every hazy feeling.

I was weak.

I was stupid and ugly.

I was incompetent.

And he was right. Like always.

I wanted to make myself happy, I was supposed to be happy, Gene was coming back and Naru would be happy. I liked Naru didn't I then why wasn't I happy with his being happy, wasn't this feeling all about making the other happy. To me at that moment, it wasn't.

I was jealous and I was selfish, I was not happy, I could never be, he would kill me tonight and reunite with his brother, I would never see him after tonight, never and it pained me like hell.

I cried again, burying my face in the pillow, letting go of it, screaming in the pillow again and again.

I felt relieved, the pain lessened and I turned to stand near the window to see the moon in all its glory. Surrounded by stars, the sky like a black cloth dotted with puffed clouds, mocking me, mocking me that I would never see this beauty after tonight felt tears slip and my face scrunch as I rested my hands on the window sill and cried again.

Weak. Weak. Weak. I was weak, crying like that, when he was probably sitting in his office, drinking tea and looking at the black notebook that seemed to be his soul mate. Why couldn't I relax like him, why did everybody pity me and blame him, when I know it's my fault.

But then again he was Oliver Davis and I was Mai, Mai Taniyama. People from two worlds.

The tears stopped as a comforting breeze blew, caressing me, ruffling my hair.

Slowly I made my way to the bag that held my most prized possessions and with slow movements I rummaged around it, waiting for my fingers to touch a silver, hard frame wrapped in newspapers.

I found it at the bottom of my bag, lying next to my lucky charm, my mother's key. I would need it tonight and with that thought I pocketed it, my fingers caressing the hard metallic key.

Then I looked at the frame, simple and elegant, silver with flowers encircling it but the picture inside it was more mesmerizing than anything.

Two identical boys with almost same expressions were standing, together. If it would have been someone else they would've thought one of them as a reflection of other, but I knew better; much, much better.

_"Mai." He had said slowly, handing me this picture. "Can you differentiate between these two."_

_At that moment I knew I could, I already knew which one was Naru and which was Gene. But he never let me answer._

_"I thought so" he mumbled and then asked that question which I wanted to answer. The words were at the tip of my tongue but I couldn't answer, they never came out and he left me…..crying like a weak, helpless girl._

I had known the difference after I came to know that the person in my dreams was not Naru, it was Gene, his twin and since then I had known the difference.

Naru was the one on the right, his eyes were darker than Gene's and his smile was small but still there, rare and somewhere between a smirk. He was different, he was not a clone of Gene, he was unique I had tried to tell him but he was already accepting himself as a mere duplicate.

I did not think like that.

But did it matter now? no.

Because our ways were parting from tonight. He needed no sympathy from me or anyone for that matter. We were different and there was nothing but acceptance that lessened my pain.

**Naru POV:**

"Boss, let me in." Yasuhara protested but I ignored his constant knock on the door. I ignored everything because I didn't care, I never did… and I wasn't going to, ever

"Boss, I can't stand being told you are stupid. Let me in."

I was surprised for a moment, Yasuhara was sticking with me and I wanted to know why, the others were angry, even Lin was and I knew why, they wanted me to take back my decision. A part of me wanted to but I couldn't stand the tension it would cause between me and Mai. The same cycle would go on, I would keep on thinking she liked Gene, I would keep hating my own twin for her and all that went against my ego. Stupid arguments, stupid insults, stupid me…

"Come in."

"Thank Goodness that Your Highness thinks me worthy of entering his lair." He sardonically commented and I noticed a voluminous book in his hand.

"What do you want." I didn't ask, I growled. If he was here with information on the case I didn't care at all…I had enough problems to untangle.

Yasuhara rested the book on my desk and adjusted his glasses before looking at me in the way Madoka did. The 'listen-to-me-you-idiot-scientist-look'.

"We need to talk."

"We already are." I pointed out and this earned me a scowl form Yasuhara.

"Look at this." He pointed a finger on the book to which I just raised an eyebrow.

"I don't have time for stupid things Yasuhara."

"Same to you." He snapped and that surprised me again, Yasuhara should be kept away from Madoka, I can't have two people ruling over me.

The book was fairly simple with a red leather covering on it.

It was an album, different than the way Lin had made, this was more specific, it was a book about everybody, full of pictures.

"Mai-chan made this."

I looked at him and glared; he could just not call her a chan.

**_"Yeah only you can call her that, but oh I forgot you are the Great Oliver Davis" _** Gene commented in my mind and I just ignored him, he was being dense.

**_ "Shut up!" _**I growled at him and swiftly turned pages. Our cases were saved in those pages with side writings in an untidy scrawl. I could recognize that scrawl anytime. It was Mai's, her notes and comments on the pictures. I was in many pictures, with Mai and Lin, SPR's first vacation to which Mai had dragged me, to the beach.

Mai was in most pictures, swimming, smiling, eating and yelling at me while making insulting faces at my office door. Lin, typing, typing and typing. I smiled a little confident that the huge book would hide it. There was Matsuzaki-san and Takigawa engaged in a verbal form and Father Brown trying to make peace.

The pictures made my mind race at an incredible pace, every memory I wanted to let go off was there. Mai's birthday to which Madoka had dragged me, dressed in a white suit wearing a red and white tie. I still hate that outfit, Mai's birthday cake and all of us standing next to her eating the cake. I smirked, she was blushing red when I ate the whole cake and even asked for more. All of this was before Gene's body was discovered. I still don't know why I acted like that on her birthday. Maybe it was because…

"**_Because you like her….very, very much" _**Gene suggested for the umpteenth time and this time his words sank inside. Little did I know that Yasuhara was staring at me.

"Boss these are memories, your memories, Mai made this after you left. For Mai we all are family, I'm her evil cousin, Ayako and Masako are her sisters, John is the sweet brother, Monk is the elder, protective brother, Lin is the stoic uncle and Madoka is the aunt." To prove this he pointed to a group photo of SPR.

I was sitting in the middle with Lin and Madoka on either side of me. Mai behind me, smiling widely and surrounded by all members.

"And to her what am I?" I asked more of myself but Yasuhara heard.

"You are the jerkiest friend whom she fell for."

I didn't believe him.

"No."

"Of course Boss, she met you before she met Gene, she came to know you first, not your twin and she fell for you before the twin. You won Boss, you won her from Gene."

I was listening, I was nodding, it was sinking in and I never stopped myself from accepting one thing that I've been denying from the time I met her

_I won her…..I won._

And for me, Oliver Davis, there was nothing more greater than winning. Nothing was more prideful than winning…..

General POV:

He held the knife in her hand, the petite brunette was lying on the bed, he would kill her, he would, he couldn't go back on his choices and he wouldn't.

Mai felt her throat turning to dry, like hot sand, her hands were clenched into fists at her side and she tried not to grit her teeth so tightly. But she couldn't help it, she couldn't, she was afraid of dying, afraid of leaving, she was not happy and she never would be.

Unlike Naru she admitted her feelings to herself, she let her heart rule on her and while she was waiting for Naru to strike her with the knife, her breathing hitched and she felt like she had felt in the Urado case. In her nightmare.

At what point the blade did touch her and its mere coldness electrocuted her and she felt her eyes brimming with hot tears. It could happen any second now, any second at all. She could only wait.

_A minute passed._

_The knife hovered above her….._

_Naru felt his composed face slip and his breathing constrict._

_Two minutes passed._

_It could end any moment now._

_She was about to die her hands shook and she trembled._

_He bit his lip until a metallic taste filled his mouth._

_It could happen at any moment now._

_He felt the knife slip from his hand, until he was clutching the blade so tightly that his hand began to bleed._

_He needed her, the smile, the tea, the voice, the stupidity and then he realized something, something that numbed the pain in his bleeding hand._

_He was wrong and Gene was right but he had still won…._

"No.." Naru growled and the sound echoed in the empty room. Nobody was in the room except Mai's parents and Gene.

"No" he spoke again, this time louder and clearer.

Mai's eyes snapped open and she saw Naru standing above her, his blue eyes gleaming in realization.

Why isn't he killing me… and then Mai's eyes saw his bleeding hand and the blade that had cut inside.

He hadn't killed her.

"Nar-Naru what the hell have you done to your hand?" Mai screeched, jumping from the bed and inspecting his bloody hand. Apparently he had clutched the sharp blade and his hand was bleeding profusely.

"OH MY GOD" Mai breathed, examining it with the tears starting to fall on his wound.

She didn't give it second thought, she just hugged the confused scientist and started crying, both of them oblivious to the spirits.

"Mai- I" he started to speak but no words came out.

"Don't" she sobbed. "Don't ruin the moment Noll."

Gene smiled, he was proud, proud of Noll, proud of both of them.

"I- I" he started to hug her back and speak inaudibly.

"I can't kill her, I choose Mai, her only."

"Naru….." she whispered.

Mai's parents looked astonished and slowly a small smile spread on their faces.

"I didn't know…" Megumi gasped.

"I don't know we put them through that torture." Yahiro said.

Gene smiled and sighed.

"I tried to tell you.." he said resignedly.

The three grinned to themselves and Megumi and Yahiro said:

"Well we'll go then." Megumi said sighing in contentment. "I love my daughter."

Yahiro went up to Naru who had broken away from Mai.

"Oliver Davis" Yahiro looked pointedly at Naru. "I'm counting my daughter's tears."

Mai started crying again as she looked at the fading translucent figures of her mom and dad.

"No….." the tears cascaded down her face and Naru put his hand on her shoulder.

"I'll guess I'll go too." Gene sighed. "Since my brother and his assistant need a _moment." _Gene grinned evilly and then looked at Noll.

"Noll, if you ever hurt Mai, I'll take her for myself."

"Until we meet again….. Mai stay happy with Oliver." Megumi sighed as the teenagers watched the three spirits fade lightly before disappearing, going, moving on…..

Mai hugged Naru again, he had never been good at showing emotions or hugging people for that matter so he let Mai cry until she was relieved.

"I hate you Naru" she sobbed.

He looked surprised and a pained expression was about to reach his face when Mai told him why.

"Because you don't enjoy the moments Naru, you'll have to learn."

The smirk that etched across his face made Mai happy

"I think I'm ready to learn, if you teach." He whispered quietly and then winced as his wounded hand started to hurt painfully.

"Naru your hand, oh-oh I'm so- so sorry-" the brunette jumped out of his arms and darted around her room, looking for a first aid kit.

"I just got distracted" but Naru was not listening, he was looking at a photo frame on the counter that he had not noticed before when Mai quietly approached him from behind.

She took the photo from his hand.

"I can differentiate now Naru." She stated and her finger lingered upon Gene's face for a moment. At that moment Naru felt a pang of jealousy arise inside him, she was about to tell the wrong answer but Mai didn't remove her finger.

"This is-" she spoke slowly, her finger still on Gene's face. Naru felt an inaudible sigh escape his lips, Mai was going to confuse him with Gene. He still envied his cheerful twin, maybe this fact would haunt him forever.

"Not you." Mai finished and somehow it felt as if a burden had lifted from Naru's shoulder.

"What?" was his smart reply.

"You are this one, Oliver Davis, Kazuya Shibuya, Naru whatever, I don't care who you are as long as you are yourself."

Naru smirked for the fourth time that day (**A/N: or is it the third. Idk as long as he smirked!) **and asked the question he wanted to.

"How do you know?"

"I should know." Mai stuck out her chin proudly. "You have darker eyes and a different, better smile and because the jerk inside you is being reflected in your face."

"That is what you like about me." He didn't ask, he stated smugly and felt the smirk widen in to a smile when Mai nodded.

"Yeah but that still doesn't mean, you have to act like a jerk now. Hey where's everybody else."

"They're mourning for you."

"Why?" it was apparent that in her happiness Mai had forgotten all the earlier events.

"Idiot." He mumbled in her ear and watched Mai turn different shades of red. He smiled, her reactions were amusing and he stalked out of the room before Mai's animal instincts could kick in.

**Later:**

"You scared us" Ayako hugged Mai and glared at Naru. "We thought the King of Demons was going to murder his tea-maker."

Mai giggled.

"He wouldn't do that to his _girlfriend" _she giggled again as the team was shocked.

"The world is ending.." Monk pretended to faint.

"Don't worry darling, I'll be there for you." Yasu cooed.

"You rather not be." Monk was disgusted and flapped Yasu away.

"Oh don't be so cruel or I'll go hug Mai-chan."

"Don't even dare." Naru growled and Mai giggled happily.

"Smile please." Yasu put the camera on automatic and ran to join the group for a group photo.

Naru sat in the middle with Mai leaning against his feet, Lin on one side and Ayako on the other. The others stood behind them posing and smiling. Even Masako was giggling and Yasu was taking full advantage of that.

Mai forgave Atsuro, she didn't want to send him to jail, she didn't want Kasai or Maya to grow without a father. Naru tried to have Atsuro sent to jail but Mai warned him not to do anything like that. So in the end, all was well.

As she leaned again Naru's legs she felt complete, content. She was with her family, her narcissist. The world was in her arms and Mai Taniyama was contented and satisfied and happy. And she could never be better.

Life was about ups and downs, about risks, challenges, tests and human was a pawn in them. Beauty, richness, intelligence doesn't matter what matters is the purity of heart. We won't heal if we don't fall and that day Mai understood the secret of life.

It was not about living or dying, it was not about life or death, it was a road, to travel on and a journey to savor.

Until we meet again…..

End.

**DO REVIEW. I want to know how well I did this, if you like it please review, and if I don't get reviews I'll be heart broken. My sincere thanks to all my reviewers, because I love them all, if they are reading this, it's compulsory for them to review.**

**P.S: I hate to say goodbye. *crying***


End file.
